Brain Tumour Detection Using Image Segmentation: A Review

Medical Image Processing is one of the most challenging and emerging fields. MRI, CT scan , ultra scan, X-rays etc. are different machines to diagnose the condition of the patient. Human body is made up of several types of cells. Brain is a highly specialized and sensitive organ of human body. Brain tumour is one of the severe problems in the medical science. MRI imaging is often used when treating brain tumour. There are various image segmentation algorithms in order to detect brain tumour using image processing. Firstly quality of scanned MRI image is enhanced and then different image segmentation techniques are applied to detect the tumour in the scanned image. Different segmentation methods reviewed here are thresholding, kmeans, watershed, edge detection, morphological, fuzzy c-means. Here sample 5 MRI images are taken and processed by using MATLAB software. With the help of these techniques, area of the tumour, execution time, number pixel can be determined. Keywords: MATLAB, segmentation, thresholding , kmeans, watershed, edge detection, morphological, fuzzy c-means.

Investigating the Role of Inflammasome Caspases 1 and 11 in the Acute Radiation Syndrome

Exposure to high dose radiation causes life-threatening acute and delayed effects. Defining the mechanisms of lethal radiation-induced acute toxicity of gastrointestinal and hematopoietic tissues are critical steps to identify drug targets to mitigate and protect against the acute radiation syndrome (ARS). For example, one rational approach would be to design pharmaceuticals that block cell death pathways to preserve tissue integrity in radiation-sensitive organ systems including the gastrointestinal tract and hematopoietic compartment. A previous study reported that the inflammasome pathway, which mediates inflammatory cell death through pyroptosis, promotes ARS. However, we show that mice lacking the inflammatory executioner caspases, caspase-1 and caspase-11, are not protected from ARS when compared directly to littermates expressing caspase-1 and caspase-11. These results suggest that alternative pathways will need to be targeted by drugs that successfully mitigate and protect against the ARS.

Mechanism exploration of Gouqi-wentang formula against type 2 diabetes mellitus by phytochemistry and network pharmacology-based analysis and biological validation

Background The Gouqi-wentang formula (GQWTF) is a herbal formula used by Academician Xiao-lin Tong for the clinical treatment of T2DM. GQWTF is beneficial to qi, nourishes Yin, clears heat, and promotes fluid production, but the effective components and their mechanism of action remain unclear. Methods The main components of GQWTF were detected by LC–MS, and the multi-target mechanisms of GQWTF in T2DM were elucidated using network pharmacology analysis, including target prediction, protein–protein interaction network construction and analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) terms, Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation, and other network construction. Finally, the efficacy of the GQWTF was verified using biological experiments. Results First, the “herb-channel tropism” network suggested that GQWTF focuses more on treating diseases by recuperating the liver, which is considered as an important insulin-sensitive organ. Subsequently, a total of 16 active ingredients in GQWTF were detected and screened, and their biological targets were predicted. Then, “compound-target” network was constructed, where enrichment analysis of GQWTF targets reflected its potential pharmacological activities. After T2DM-related target identification, 39 cross targets of GQWTF and T2DM were obtained, and 30 key targets highly responsible for the beneficial effect of GQWTF on T2DM were identified by PPI analysis. GO analysis of these key targets showed that many biological processes of GQWTF in treating T2DM are key in the occurrence and development of T2DM, including components related to inflammatory/immune response, insulin, and metabolism. KEGG analysis revealed the regulation of multiple signalling pathways, such as insulin resistance, PPAR signalling pathway, FoxO signalling pathway, Fc epsilon RI signalling pathway, and pathways that influence diabetes primarily by regulating metabolism as well as other T2DM directly related pathways. Furthermore, a “formula-compound-pathway-symptom” network was constructed to represent a global view of GQWTF in the treatment of T2DM. Conclusions This study explored the mechanism of action of GQWTF in T2DM by multi-component and multi-target multi pathways, which could provide a theoretical basis for the development and clinical application of GQWTF.

Microbiological spectrum of ocular infections in patients of tertiary care eye hospital of Punjab

Eye is a complex and sensitive organ and is therefore more vulnerable to trauma and various infections ocular infections are one of the most commonly encountered infections. Any part of the eye can be infected by bacteria, fungi, parasites or viruses. In order to minimize the ocular morbidity and mortality, timely antimicrobial treatment must be initiated on the basis of clinical and microbial evaluation. For specific antibacterial treatment, isolation and identification of bacterial pathogens along with antibiotic susceptibility spectrum is essential. Hence, this study was undertaken to isolate and identify the bacterial and fungal pathogens responsible for the development of ocular infections and to determine their in vitro susceptibilities to commonly used antibiotics. A total of 203 samples of suspected ocular infections comprising 117 conjunctival swabs, 34 corneal specimens, 24 lacrimal pus samples and 28 vitreous specimens were analysed. Out of them 102(50.1%) showed growth. 82(40%) were bacterial and 21(10.3%) were fungal isolates. Due to the emergence of drug resistance it is imperative that all ophthalmological samples must be tested for antibiotic resistance as far as possible. Indiscriminate use of over the counter antibiotic eye formulations should be avoided and also it is important to know the changing pattern of pathogens.

Nuclear Fragmentation Imaging for Carbon-Ion Radiation Therapy Monitoring: an In Silico Study

Purpose This article presents an in vivo imaging technique based on nuclear fragmentation of carbon ions in irradiated tissues for potential real-time monitoring of carbon-ion radiation therapy (CIRT) treatment delivery and quality assurance purposes in clinical settings. Materials and Methods A proof-of-concept imaging and monitoring system (IMS) was devised to implement the technique. Monte Carlo simulations were performed for a prospective pencil-beam scanning CIRT nozzle. The development IMS benchmark considered a 5×5-cm2 pixelated charged-particle detector stack positioned downstream from a target phantom and list-mode data acquisition. The abundance and production origins, that is, vertices, of the detected fragments were studied. Fragment trajectories were approximated by straight lines and a beam back-projection algorithm was built to reconstruct the vertices. The spatial distribution of the vertices was then used to determine plan relevant markers. Results The IMS technique was applied for a simulated CIRT case, a primary brain tumor. Four treatment plan monitoring markers were conclusively recovered: a depth dose distribution correlated profile, ion beam range, treatment target boundaries, and the beam spot position. Promising millimeter-scale (3-mm, ≤10% uncertainty) beam range and submillimeter (≤0.6-mm precision for shifts <3 cm) beam spot position verification accuracies were obtained for typical therapeutic energies between 150 and 290 MeV/u. Conclusions This work demonstrated a viable online monitoring technique for CIRT treatment delivery. The method's strong advantage is that it requires few signal inputs (position and timing), which can be simultaneously acquired with readily available technology. Future investigations will probe the technique's applicability to motion-sensitive organ sites and patient tissue heterogeneities. In-beam measurements with candidate detector-acquisition systems are ultimately essential to validate the IMS benchmark performance and subsequent deployment in the clinic.

The Use of Hematological and Histopathological Biomarkers to Assess the Health of Aquatic Ecosystems in Koh Sichang, Thailand

Koh Sichang area in Thailand is a sink for a wide variety of contaminants such as heavily polluted water from industry and oil spills. This situation may affect the health status of fish living in the area, but such information remains scarce. In this study, we evaluated the health status of java rabbitfish Siganus javus, an important marine fish in Koh Sichang, using hematological and histopathological biomarkers. All fish samples were collected from the Koh Sichang area during December 2017 and January 2018. Although the salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen levels at sampling points were all within the normal range, abnormal nuclei were observed in erythrocytes (up to ~6% of all erythrocytes) and in some leucocytes (neutrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte). Visceral organs (gill, kidney and liver) were apparently normal in terms of gross morphology, but a wide variety of the histopathological alterations were found at the microscopic level: epithelial hyperplasia and aneurysm in gills; blood congestion and melanomacrophage centers (MMCs) in the liver; renal degeneration, granuloma and MMCs together with unidentified parasites in kidney. Calculation of semi-quantitative parameters [histological alteration index (HAI) and the average value of alteration (AVA)] demonstrated the highest frequency of histopathological alterations in kidney, suggesting that kidney is a sensitive organ. Overall, our observations suggest that S. javus in Koh Sichang is under the pathological state and warrants conservation efforts. Keywords: Erythrocytes, Fish Health, Hematology, Histopathology, Kidney

Thermally tolerant intertidal triplefin fish (Tripterygiidae) sustain ATP dynamics better than subtidal species under acute heat stress

Temperature is a key factor that affects all levels of organization. Minute shifts away from thermal optima result in detrimental effects that impact growth, reproduction and survival. Metabolic rates of ectotherms are especially sensitive to temperature and for organisms exposed to high acute temperature changes, in particular intertidal species, energetic processes are often negatively impacted. Previous investigations exploring acute heat stress have implicated cardiac mitochondrial function in determining thermal tolerance. The brain, however, is by weight, one of the most metabolically active and arguably the most temperature sensitive organ. It is essentially aerobic and entirely reliant on oxidative phosphorylation to meet energetic demands, and as temperatures rise, mitochondria become less efficient at synthesising the amount of ATP required to meet the increasing demands. This leads to an energetic crisis. Here we used brain homogenate of three closely related triplefin fish species (Bellapiscis medius, Forsterygion lapillum, and Forsterygion varium) and measured respiration and ATP dynamics at three temperatures (15, 25 and 30 °C). We found that the intertidal B. medius and F. lapillum were able to maintain rates of ATP production above rates of ATP hydrolysis at high temperatures, compared to the subtidal F. varium, which showed no difference in rates at 30 °C. These results showed that brain mitochondria became less efficient at temperatures below their respective species thermal limits, and that energetic surplus of ATP synthesis over hydrolysis narrows. In subtidal species synthesis matches hydrolysis, leaving no scope to elevate ATP supply.

Exposure to the Endocrine Disruptor, Propylparaben, During Pregnancy and Lactation, Alters Typical Parity-Induced Reorganization of the Mouse Mammary Gland

The mammary gland is a hormone sensitive organ that is susceptible to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during several vulnerable periods, including pregnancy and lactation. Mammary gland reorganization during pregnancy and lactation is hormone driven and provides long-term protection against breast cancer risk. It is unknown if EDC exposures during these sensitive windows can alter mammary reorganization to either enhance or offset parity-induced protection against breast cancer. Here, we examined effects of propylparaben (PP), a common preservative used in personal care products and foods with estrogen receptor (ER) agonist properties, on the parous mouse mammary gland. Pregnant BALB/c mice were treated with 0, 20, 100, or 10,000 µg/kg/day PP throughout pregnancy and lactation. These doses were selected for their relevance to human exposures. We also included an unexposed nulliparous female group to evaluate the typical changes associated with parity. Five weeks post-involution (and five weeks after the last PP exposure), mammary glands were collected and assessed for changes in histomorphology, hormone receptor expression, immune cell number, and gene expression. We found that PP reduced many of the typical morphological effects of parity on the mammary gland, resulting in intermediate phenotypes for ductal density and total epithelial structures. Notably, we found increased proliferation in PP-treated mammary glands, despite decreased ductal epithelial volume relative to parous controls. Mammary glands from PP-treated females also had alterations in the expression of ERα-mediated genes, including PgR (the gene that encodes progesterone receptor) and Igf1, with expression levels that were intermediate to both nulliparous and parous control mice. Finally, PP reduced the effect of parity on several immune cell types in the mammary gland including B cells, T-cells, and M2 macrophages. These results suggest that PP, at levels relevant to human exposure, can disrupt the normal response to parity in the mouse mammary gland, including persistent alterations to mammary gland structures. Future studies should address whether PP exposures disturb the protective effects of pregnancy on mammary cancer risk.

Management of penile emergencies- one year observation

Background: Penis is a very sensitive organ and even minor injury or discomfort may cause a patient to seek emergency evaluation. Penile emergencies and their management often rely on the results of imaging examinations. But most of the time the traumatic emergencies require urgent exploration to ensure a fair outcome. Objective was to present different types of penile emergencies and to determine the overall outcome of their managements.Methods: It was an observational study conducted at surgery department of Enam Medical College and Hospital, for one year. All patients with penile emergencies were included by selective sampling technique. The main outcome variables were type of penile emergencies, etiology of trauma, grading of trauma, types of surgical intervention, postoperative erectile function. Data processing and analysis were done using SPSS v (23). Statistical significance was determined by Students t test for quantitative data.Results: Total 33 patients admitted with emergencies. 18 (54.5%) belonged to traumatic category, 10 (30%) belonged to infective and one patient (3%) belonged to vascular (ischemic priapism) and others consist of 4 (12%). 40% of trauma was of grade III variety. Seven were victim of sharp cut injury. One who presented with ischemic priapism after 3 days underwent emergency distal shunt procedure with an acceptable functional penis post operatively. Timing of surgical intervention was compared with erectile function on the basis of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). A p value <0.05 was considered to be significant.Conclusions: Penile emergencies require prompt, accurate diagnosis. Early surgical intervention can save the organ.

Therapeutic role of nanoparticles in skin diseases: A brief review.

: As nanotechnology is mostly used in the medication and also for other purposes, it is necessary to know more about the nanoparticles. Since skin is a very sensitive organ of the body and covers large part of the body, many skin related problems are also present. To overcome the issues and to provide a good and effective care nanoparticles are being used in dermatology and also in cosmetology. This article consists of a brief knowledge on the nanoparticles, skin and also the application of nanoparticles in the skin related diseases. It contains introduction of skin, nanoparticles types and much more knowledge which will be helpful in understanding about the nanoparticles.